This month in young adult books we have heart-pounding fantasy, a chilling crime thriller, and contemporary teen stories that address vital issues.

Find our September picks for kids books here.

YA BOOK OF THE MONTH

The Other Side of the Sky by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

Prince North’s home is Alciel, a gleaming city in the sky, held aloft by intricate unknown technology. But North believes his sky island is sinking, and the key to saving his home is to venture to the place where Alciel’s engines were first created. Nimh is the living goddess of her people on the surface Below. But in the midst of their worst crisis yet, a mist that spreads madness and poison, doubts have arisen among the people about Nimh’s divine powers. When North’s and Nimh’s lives (and hearts) collide in a prophetic and spectacular fashion, they must choose to either save their people, or succumb to the the bond that is forbidden to them.

Experienced co-writers Kaufman and Spooner have previously collaborated on The Unearthed duology and The Starbound trilogy, and The Other Side of the Sky explores an intriguing clash of science and religion. Our reviewer Angela absolutely raved about this book: ‘This is a thrilling and imaginative story of star-crossed destiny with a breathtaking, contemporary twist.’ You can read our full review here.

FIVE YA BOOKS TO READ THIS MONTH

None Shall Sleep by Ellie Marney

In 1982, in the USA, the innovative FBI Behavioral Science division is breaking new ground, and two teenagers with traumatic pasts – Emma Lewis and Travis Bell – are recruited to interview convicted juvenile killers for information on cold cases. Over Travis’s objections, Emma becomes the conduit between the FBI and Simon Gutmunsson – a super-intelligent, nineteen-year-old sociopath. And although Simon seems to be giving them the information they need to save lives, he’s also an expert manipulator. Beloved Australian crime writer Marney has penned a chilling story of two teens working against the clock to stop a serial killer, putting themselves in the gravest of dangers.

Our admiring reviewer Joe alluded to the genuine sleeplessness that this thriller will cause, and also praised Marney’s ‘deeply complex and compelling heroes who complement each other brilliantly.’ You can read our full review here.

The F Team by Rawah Arja

Tariq Nader has been commanded by the new principal of beleaguered Punchbowl High to join a football competition with his mates Ibby, PJ and Huss. But there’s a catch – half of the team is made up of white boys from Cronulla. Add a crush on outspoken slam poet Jamila and conflict with his older sister to his already complicated life, and Tariq has to dig deep to control his anger, and find what it takes to be a leader. Tariq’s relationships with his extended Lebanese family and his friends are tested like never before in this extremely funny and touching debut novel.

I really loved this entertaining book from an exciting new Australian author, which I think is a truly wild and enjoyable ride. You can read my full review here.

Fighting Words by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Ten-year-old Della has always been protected by her adored older sixteen-year-old sister Suki, especially after their mother went to prison and her predatory boyfriend Clifton took the sisters in. After her experiences with Clifton, Della has learned to stand up to a bully at school and rally other girls around her, but in their new home with foster mother Francine, Suki’s mental health declines. Della decides it’s time to tell their secrets and speak out about the terrible things that happened to Suki.

Based on the author’s personal experience, Fighting Words is about finding the words and the voice to talk about the most difficult things in young adults’ lives. The serious themes of child sexual abuse are very carefully approached, so this book is suitable for younger readers as well, from 11 years and up. Our reviewer Angela welcomed a book on this topic, and said: ‘This is an important and beautifully written story that is ultimately uplifting but should be given to a young person with the awareness that further discussion and support may be needed.’ You can read our full review here.

For ages 11 and up.

The Mermaid, the Witch and the Sea by Maggie Tokuda-Hall

Aboard the pirate ship Dove, Flora the girl takes on the identity of Florian the man to earn the respect and protection of the crew. For orphans Flora and her brother Alfie, the brutal life of a pirate is about survival: don’t trust, don’t stick out, and don’t feel. But when the Lady Evelyn Hasegawa boards the Dove, on the way to an arranged marriage, Florian and Evelyn form a deep bond. Soon the two young people set off on a wild escape that will involve a captured mermaid (coveted for her blood), the mysterious Pirate Supreme, an opportunistic witch, double agents, and the all-encompassing Sea herself.

I found this highly original high-seas fantasy so transporting and absorbing - in my review I described it as ‘strange, touching and beautiful.’ You can read my full review here.

Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi & Yusef Salaam

‘Boys just being boys’ turns out to be true only when those boys are white. Suddenly, at just sixteen years old, Amal Shahid’s bright future is upended: after a chance altercation in a neighbourhood park he is convicted of a crime he didn’t commit and sent to prison. Despair and rage almost sink him until he turns to the refuge of his words, his art.

This powerful free verse novel by award-winning author Ibi Zoboi and prison reform activist Yusef Salaam (one of the Exonerated Five - the five teenagers wrongfully convicted in 1990 on charges of sexually assaulting a jogger in New York’s Central Park) tells a moving story about how one boy is able to maintain his humanity and fight for the truth, in a system designed to strip him of both.

NEWS & EVENTS

With the year racing by, we took a moment to recommend 10 YA books you should try to get through before 2020 is over. There’s something for every reader on this list: heart-stopping thrillers, a warming rom-com, immersive fantasy, books to make you laugh, and more. Also included is the 2020 year’s winner of the Readings Young Adult Book Prize: Ghost Bird by Lisa Fuller. We were happy to see this exciting novel take home another award last week at the Queensland Literary Awards 2020 announcement.

Are you an aspiring or emerging writer of YA fiction? Do you love creepy stories that make you scream? If your answer was yes to both these questions then you should consider submitting a short story for Wakefield Press’s Hometown Haunts: #LoveOzYA Horror Tales anthology. They’re looking for four YA horror stories in an open call-out across Australia. The submission deadline is 1 October 2020, and you can find out all the details here.

Coming up as part of our online events calendar, we’re hosting an in-conversation with Anna Morgan on Monday 5 October. Morgan will be chatting about her forthcoming novel, Before the Beginning. Set during Schoolies Week, this is an empathetic and suspenseful coming-of-age. Find the details here.

And get set for a thrilling YA panel on 17 September at OzAuthors Online… At this event you can listen to three LoveOzYA authors – Ellie Marney, Sarah Epstein and Lili Wilkinson – discuss the YA thriller genre and their processes, as well as share what thrills them.

Leanne Hall is the children’s specialist for Readings online. She also writes books for children and young adults.